Draft hood and regulator for locomotives



No Model.)

J. FARRELL, E. GORMAN & E. PUROELL. DRAFT HOOD AND REGULATOR FORLOCOMOTIVES.

No. 586,429. Patented July 13, 1897.

"m: unms ram ccmumourno was" mn c UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JOHN FARRELL, EDWARD GORMAN, AND EDWARD PUROELL, OF PI-IILA- DELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT HOOD AND REGULATOR FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,429, dated July 13,1897.

Application fil d November 27, 1896. Serial No. 613,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN FARRELL, ED WAED GORMAN, and EDWARD PUEcELL,citi- Zens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Draft Hoods and Regulators for Locomotives, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in draft hoods andregulators for locomotives, and has for its object to put under thecontrol of the engineer the amount of draft exerted upon the fireirrespective of the strength of the exhaust.

Heretofore considerable loss of fuel by unnecessary combustion and byagitation has been occasioned in locomotives, since no means wereprovided for the regulation of the draft through the tubes and from thesmokestack; but we entirely overcome these disadvantages by so locatingthe exhaust-hood as to completely inclose the exhaust-tip and providingdampers for the regulation of the passage through the smoke-stack andplacing these dampers under the control of the engineer.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, its constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a section of the front portion of a boiler and itssmoke-chamber, illustrating the arrangement of our improvement therein;Fig. 2, a section at the line :0 a; of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of aportion of the smokechamber, a part thereof being broken away and thedraft-hood sectioned at the line y y of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, an elevationof the drafthood, showing the devices for operating the dampers. V

Within the smoke-chamber or spark-arrester A of an ordinary locomotiveis secured a draft-hood B, here shown as bolted to the top of thechamber in such manner as to register with the lower end of thesmoke-stack O.

This hood is flared at its lower end and covered by a screen orwire-netting D, through which passes the upper portion of theexhausthood E. This hood consists of a pipe of considerably lessdiameter than the diameter of the smoke-stack and has its lower endflared, so as to fit over the exhaust-tip F, as clearly shown in Figs. 1and 2. Two dampers G are pivoted within the draft-hood and are of such ashape as to close around the exhaust-hood when in a horizontal positionand fit the interior of the draft-hood, so as to cut off the passage ofthe products of combustion after the manner of an ordinary damper, andyet when these dampers are opened to the position shown in Fig. 1 a freedraft may be had through the stack.

' In order that the dampers may work in unison, the spindle upon whicheach is hinged is provided with a segmental gear H, and these gears meshtogether, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when one damper is swung the otherwill be swung also in unison therewith. One of the spindles I of thedampers projects through the side wall of the smoke-chamber and hassecured thereon an arm J, to which is pivoted the rod K, the latterextending rearward in easy reach of the engineer or'fireman, so that oneor the other may have control over the draft-passage in the stack.

From this description it will be seen that when a decided draft isneeded in the firebox the dampers are swung to the position shown inFig. 1, so as to open the passage through the smoke-stack, after Whichthe' issuance of the exhaust through the upper end of the exhaust-hoodwill induce a draft within the smoke-stack, as is well understood; J

pressure has been reached in the boiler and the locomotive is runningwith but little motion of its valves, and consequently with but littleconsumption of steam, a considerable saving of fuel will be effected bythe modifying or cutting off entirely of the. draft without opening thefeed-door to the fire-box, thus retaining the heat within the fire-boxand boiler, while holding the fire in such a condition as tosubstantially suspend combustion until it is necessaryto againmaterially draw upon the steam-supply, thus necessitating an increase ofcombustion, which may be had by an increase of draft, brought about bythe proper manipulation of the dampers.

It has heretofore been the practice to retard the generation of steamwhen not needed by reason of reduced consumption by opening thefeed-door of the fire-box, with the obvious result of an inrushing ofcold air, which not only deadened the upper surface of the fire, whichshould at all times be kept active, but chilled the surfaces of thetubes and tubeplates to an extent which was injurious to these parts,often necessitating the rexpansion of the tubes within the plates,whereas by our arrangement these injurious effects are not permitted andthe upper surface of the fire-bed is always maintained in a live andactive condition, so that when it is again needed for an increase in thegeneration of steam it is only necessary to increase the drafttherethrough. Another advantage has been observed by the use of thisinvention, which consists in preventing an undue suction within certaintubes and more evenly distributing the draft within the smokechamber, soas to prevent the drawing forward of the smaller particles of fuel fromthe fire-bed, thus preventing the injurious disturbance of said bed.

For convenience in cleaning the smokechamber the exhaust-hood E isarranged so that it may be readily slid upward to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1, where it may be temporarily secured by means ofthe hooks L, which are adapted to engage with the eyes M, and when theexhaust-hood is in this position free access can be had to thesmoke-chamber for cleaning purposes.

It is essential that means be provided for the injection of live steamwithin the exhausthood for the maintaining of a draft to assist instarting the fire, and this we provide for by running the pipe N fromthe upper portion of the boiler to within close proximity to theexhaust-tip Fand providing said pipe with an upturned tip 0, so thatwhen steam is permitted to pass therethrough it will be projected upwardthrough the exhaust-hood into the stack, thereby creating the desireddraft. A notch is formed in the lower edge of the exhaust-hood, so as topermit it to embrace the pipe N in seating upon the bottom of thesmoke-chamber.

In securing the draft hood within the smoke-chamber we prefer to removefour of saved, since its combustion is so regulated as to maintain theproper pressure within the boiler and not permit the waste of steam bythe blowing off of the safety-valve, and the advantages of ourimprovement will be espe cially noticeable in its application tolocomotives which make frequent stops, as the engineer has only to closethe dampers just prior to shutting off the steam to maintain theprevious pressure in the boiler.

Another advantage gained by our improvement is that when the fire is tobe fed the dampers may be closed before opening the feed-door, thusretaining the hot gases within the fire-box, tubes, and smoke-chamberand preventing an inrushing of cold air during the process of feeding.This, as before described, will prevent the chilling of the surfaces ofthe boiler as well as the falling of the steam-pressure, thereby savingboth fuel and annoyance in having to again raise the boilerpressure.

A baffle-plate Q is so located as to deflect the products of combustionin their course toward the stack, which will assist in maintaining anequal suctionin all of the tubesas well as precipitating the sparks tothe bottom of the smoke-chamber.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anduseful is 1. In combination with a locomotive-boiler, a draft-hoodlocated within the smoke-chamber and registering with the lower end ofthe smoke-stack, an exhaust-hood projecting within the draft-hood,anddampers for closing the passage to the smoke-stack around theexhaust-hood, as specified.

2. In combination, a draft hoodsecured within the smoke-chamber, anexhaust-hood projecting through said draft-hood and completelysurrounding the exhaust-tip, dampers located in the draft-hood so as toregulate the passage therethrough, and means for operating said dampersfrom the cab of the locomotive, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In combination with the smoke-chamber of a locomotive-boiler, adraft-hood secured therein so as to register with the smoke-stack, anexhaust hood projecting through said draft-hood and completelysurrounding the exhaust-tip, dampers arranged within the draft-hood soas to regulate the passage therethrough, means for causing the dampersto move in unison, a rod so connected to the affixed our signatures inthe presence of two Io subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FARRELL. EDWARD GORMAN. EDWARD PURCELL.

Vitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, MARK BUFORD.

